The Fairy Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily (The Tale)

Carlyle's Introduction

That Goethe, many years ago, wrote a piece named Das Mährchen (The Tale); which the admiring critics of Germany contrived to criticise by a stroke of the pen; declaring that it was indeed The Tale, and worthy to be called the Tale of Tales (das Mährchen aller Mährchen),—may appear certain to most English readers, for they have repeatedly seen as much in print. To some English readers it may appear certain, furthermore, that they personally know this Tale of Tales; and can even pronounce it to deserve no such epithet, and the admiring critics of Germany to be little other than blockheads.

English readers! the first certainly is altogether indubitable; the second certainty is not worth a rush.

That same Mährchen aller Mährchen you may see with your own eyes, at this hour, in the Fifteenth Volume of Goethes Werke; and seeing is believing. On the other hand, that English 'Tale of Tales,' put forth some years ago as the Translation thereof, by an individual connected with the Periodical Press of London (his Periodical vehicle, if we remember, broke down soon after, and was rebuilt, and still runs, under the name of Court Journal),—was a Translation, miserable enough, of a quite different thing; a thing, not a Mährchen (Fabulous Tale) at all, but an Erzählung or common fictitious Narrative; having no manner of relation to the real piece (beyond standing in the same Volume); not so much as Milton's Tetrachordon of Divorce has to his Allegro and Penseroso! In this way do individuals connected with the Periodical Press of London play their part, and commodiously befool thee, O Public of English readers, and can serve thee with a mass of roasted grass, and name it stewed venison; and will continue to do so, till thou—open thy eyes, and from a blind monster become a seeing one.